The series will premiere in Japan on January 6 and Funimationwill stream the first episode on January 13.

Funimation describes the story:

Teenage boys are notoriously lazy, and the members of Binan High School's Earth Defense Club are no exception. Their definition of “earth defense” is bumming around all day at the local bathhouse. But when a pink wombat appears out of thin air and begs the boys to help him save the planet, even the idlest high schoolers jump to action. Watch the magical boys transform and save the earth with the power of LOVE!

John Hurt, who played the War Doctor in the 50th Anniversary specialThe Day of the Doctor, has been awarded a knighthood in the Queen's New Year Honours list.The actor was given his award for services to drama. Sir John Hurt has had a career lasting more than five decades, appearing in films such asThe Elephant Man, where he played John Merrick,Nineteen Eighty-Fourwhere he played Winston Smith andScandalwhere he played Stephen Ward. On Television he is best known for playing Caligula in the renownedI, Claudiusand Quentin Crisp inThe Naked Civil Servant. His distinctive voice has been used in many productions such asWatership Downand the animatedThe Lord of the Rings.Also honoured is actorJames Cordenwho played Craig Owens alongside the Eleventh Doctor, who has been made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, or OBE. Corden, who was also honoured for services to drama said he was delighted at with award.

I'm thrilled, overwhelmed and honoured to be recognised in such a way. I feel very lucky to be born in a country where creativity is both encouraged and valued. My family are very proud. My mum is already fretting about what to wear.

Other actors honoured includeSheridan Smithwho is made a OBE andMeera Syalwho is made a CBE.The awards are given by Queen Elizabeth on the advice of the British Government.

Tuesday, 30 December 2014

Square Enix issued a job listing for a "designing, development, and management planner for a new online game related toFinal Fantasy XV" this week. The listing also notes that the job will have the employee working with a game related to another title that will be very famous.

The requirements for the job include a positive and driven attitude and being able to use Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. Other things that would be considered positive include online management, production of a game with fees, management experience, knowledge of game system calculations, as well as interest, curiosity, and/or experience with PC games.

Voice actress Masumi Asanorevealed on her blog on Tuesday that her and Kenjirou Hata's (Hayate the Combat Butler) comedy dōjin manga Sore ga Seiyū! (That Is A Voice Actor!) is getting a television anime adaptation. The duo write the manga under the circle name Hajimemashite. A poster at Comic Market (Comiket) 87 also confirmed the news on Tuesday.

The four-panel manga centers on Futaba Ichinose, Ichigo Moesaki, and Rin Kohana, three rookie voice actresses. The manga features small but humorous observations of the voice actor industry. Hajimemashite launched the manga at the winter Comiket event in 2011, and the duo have released new issues at Comiket events since then.

Asano wrote that more information about the TV anime will be revealed in 2015.

Asano herself voiced the character of Risa Asakaze in the various anime adaptations of the manga. Asano has worked on other various manga such as Partner, Hiyoko no Arukikata, and Uru wa Sorairo Majo. Her voice acting credits include Ikki Tousen's Hakufu Sonsaku, Blood-C's Yūka Amino, and The Pet Girl of Sakurasou's Ayano Iida, among many others.

Narrator: The one the Straw Hat Pirates met was a crybaby reindeer.Luffy: You're an interesting guy! Join my crew!Narrator: "The most touching episode" in the history of One Piece and this famous work is, this time, nothing less then a miracle. A new animated work. 2014: A specialOne Piece is born again. 15th anniversary commemorative anime, One Piece: Episode of Chopper: Fuyu ni Saku, Kiseki no Sakura. Broadcasting 9 p.m. New Year's Eve.

The new special edition will air on Fuji TV and its affiliates on December 31 at 9:00 p.m. (7:00 a.m. EST). The movie depicts how Tony Chopper, the cute blue-nosed reindeer who serves as the ship doctor for the Straw Hat Pirates, met Luffy and the others during the Winter Island/Drum Kingdom arc. Livedoor News describes the film as the story that fans praise as the "most tearful inOne Piece history."

Original manga creator Eiichiro Oda contributed to the film during its early planning stages. The film featured Nico Robin and Franky (even though they did not appear in the original manga's Drum Island arc) and the screen debut of the Thousand Sunny ship.

The original manga had opening page art that depicted what happened to the characters after this story. That art was the only depiction of the story's epilogue until now; the 2014 special edition of the film will add special footage that animates the epilogue with Dolton, Dr. Kureha (who taught medicine to Chopper), and others. The New Year's Eve airing will also end with a special message from the Straw Hat Pirates to the fans, to show their gratitude for the 15th anniversary.

The ninth film in the One Piece anime franchise premiered in Japan in 2008, and ran at the Italian Future Film Festival the next year. This year's 52nd issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jumpmagazine announced the special edition airing of the film last month. In its New Year's Eve time slot, the movie will go up against NHK's Red & White Song Battle, the most popular music program of the year.

On Monday December 29, Anime Limited is releasing its DVD/Blu-ray Collector's Edition of the film Patema Inverted(following its 'standard' Blu-ray/DVD combo pack edition and an 'Ultimate' Edition earlier this month). It includes a 48-page short story booklet and other extras. GKids summarised the film story as follows:

Patema lives in an underground world of tunnels, the long-abandoned ruins of a giant industrial complex. Though she is a princess, she is held back by the rules imposed by the elders of her clan. One day when she is exploring in a forbidden zone, she is startled by a strange bat-like creature and tumbles headlong into a void and out into the wide-open world above the surface – a place in which Patema risks “falling up” into the sky and being lost forever. Student Age lives on this surface world, a totalitarian society whose compliant population has been brainwashed against the “sinners who fell into the sky.”

Monday, 29 December 2014

TV Asahiupdated its website with new information about Toei's upcoming Shuriken Sentai Nin'ningerSuper Sentai special-effects series. The site updated with the show's cast, staff, premiere date, and a promotional video.

Shuriken Sentai Nin'ninger will mark the 40th anniversary of Toei's Super Sentai franchise. The story takes place after The Last Ninja sealed away all the yokai in the world. This lasted until The Last Ninja's death, when the yokai returned. His descendants, five cousins, battle the yokai as the Nin'ninger.

The television series will premiere on TV Asahi on February 15 at 7:30 a.m.

Interest

Lots of Microsoft Character Goodies at This Season's Comiket

posted on 2014-12-27 16:00 GMT by Eric Stimson

Song duets, voice samples, store manager aprons and more

Microsoft has won a fan following in Japan for its cute female mascot characters, in particular Nanami Madobe, who represents Windows 7, and her sisters Yū and Ai, who promote Windows 8. It has parlayed this into a booth at Comiket in winter 2012 and both summer and winter 2013.Microsoft will reappear at this season's Comiket with a bevy of goods featuring its mascots.

The booth will sell the Windows 8.1 Pro DSP edition in three different versions. The Store Manager Theme Bag version comes with the Microsoft store manager's apron and a CD-ROM featuringDaisuke Namikawa (Ulquiorra in Bleach, Yu in Persona 4, Prince Baka in Level E) as the store manager. The CD-ROM includes original wallpaper and Daisuke Namikawa voice samples for your OS, such as "There's a problem. Do your best!" (for a system error) and "Have you saved your data? The battery will run out soon." Ten lucky attendees will also get a picture of the manager signed by Namikawa. The Nanami & Claudia Dream Duet Remix version has a CD with Nanami (Nana Mizuki) and Claudia (Eri Kitamura) singing a duet together, as well as a cloth bag featuring the couple. The Claudia Anime version includes a DVD featuring a Claudia anime and a pair of earrings fashioned after the Windows logo. All three versions come with Yū and Ai ema (wooden prayer tablets), Yū and Ai postcards, and clear files, and come in bags featuring Nanami, Yū, Ai, Claudia and the store manager in front of an electronics store in "Akihano." The Windows 8.1 sets cost 19,000 yen (or $158) each; only 60 of each version is available.

Microsoft is also selling Arc Touch mice featuring Nanami or Yū and Ai. The sets also come withema, postcards, and clear files. The mouse sets cost 12,000 yen (or $100) each; only 60 of both versions are available.

Comiket guests can also opt for a grab-bag lacking any technology but with eight Microsoftcharacter badges, an ema, a postcard and a clear file. There will also be an original manga by Toshiya Takahashi featuring the Madobe clan. The grab-bag costs 2,000 yen (or about $16.60) each, with 200 available; the manga costs 500 yen (or about $4.15), and 2,000 will be available.

Microsoft is also planning on holding a Skype conversation between Toshiya Takahashi, Asuka Nishi and Nao Tamura (Yū and Ai's voice actresses), although the time hasn't been determined yet. In addition, trade show models will be cosplaying as the Madobe sisters and will be posing for photographs at the booth's opening and closing each day.

Comiket 87 will be held from December 28 to 30 at Tokyo Big Sight. Microsoft's booth is #162 in West Building, Hall 4.

The magazine lists that Krillin has "surprisingly" become a police officer, and asks, "What could have happened after the last film!?" The magazine also notes that Krillin has returned to being bald, as opposed to his spiky hair from the previous film.

Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump describes the story:

An Earth where peace has arrived. However, remnants of Frieza's army Sorbet and Tagoma (from the Japanese word for 'egg') arrive on the planet. Their goal is to revive Frieza with the dragon balls. Their dastardly wish is granted, the "F" that plans its revenge against the Saiyans is revived...!

Dragonball manga creator Akira Toriyama is personally credited with the original concept, screenplay and character designs of the new movie "that the entire universe eagerly awaits!!"Dragon Ball Z animation director Tadayoshi Yamamuro will direct the new movie.

Big Finishare running a "12 Days of Big Finish-mas" special offer over the course of the festive period, during which each day sees an item from their catalogue of series made available for download at a special price of £2.99 for 48 hours.Details of each day can be found via their website:today's offerfeatures theCompanion ChronicleThe Scorchies, which starsKaty Manningreprising her role as Jo Grant.

Toby Hadokehas completed the 100th Podcast in his quest to get anecdotes about every Doctor Who story broadcast during the show's first fifty years.The actor and comedian, and the man behind the reviewMoths ate my Doctor Who Scarf, began his quest in January 2013 by interviewing special effects make-up artistsSusan MooreandSteve Mansfield. Over the next 100 editions he has talked to a vast range of personal associated with the series in its long history, giving a real insight into the way the show was made and uncovering previously unheard stories.The 100th edition was released on Christmas Day and reveals whether Hadoke was successful in his quest.All The Podcasts are hosted by Big Finish and all are available to download for free from theBig Finish Website.Everyone involved has given their time for nothing and listeners are invited to make donations to the interviewees favourite charity.

Last Christmashas debuted in Australia, averaging 563,000 viewers in the five major capital cities. It was the top-rating drama of the day and the thirteenth highest rating programme of the day overall. These ratings do not include regional or time-shifted viewers.

Doctor WhoLast Christmashad an Audience Appreciation Index score of82.The Appreciation Index or AI is a measure of how much the audience enjoyed the programme. The score, out of a hundred, is compiled by a specially selected panel of around 5,000 people who go online and rate and comment on programmes.The highest scoring programmes from Christmas Day wereCall the MidwifeandDownton Abbey.The BBC Three repeat of Last Christmas had0.42 million watching, a share of 1.9% of the total TV audience.

It was on Saturday26th December 1964, fifty years ago today, that we said goodbye to the first regular to leave Doctor Who, with the departure ofCarole Ann Fordfrom the series.When 12.4 million viewers saw Susan fall in love with freedom fighter David Campbell and the Doctor lock the TARDIS doors so she wouldn't have to choose between her grandfather and her new love, it was the end of an era for the Doctor and his granddaughter. For the programmeDoctor Whoit was a major milestone, with one of the quartet of actors to have created the series moving on to new challenges, and leaving a sizable hole in the tight-knit team.Carole Ann Ford was an experienced character actress when she joinedDoctor Who. She first appeared in a film at the age of eight. After appearing in a number of commercials and walk-on work, her first proper role was in the playWomen of the Streets. She had appeared in the TV MovieExpresso Bongoand had roles inHorrors of the Black Museum,Probation Officer,The Ghost Train Murder,Emergency-Ward 10,Dixon of Dock Green,No Hiding Place,Crying Down the Lane,The Day of the Triffids,Mix Me a Person,Harpers West One,The Punch and Judy ManandZ-Cars.It was that role inZ-Carswhich led to her being cast as Susan, a role originally envisaged, and pitched to Ford, as a much more alien character than that which eventually emerged. It is well known that the changes to the proposed role frustrated Ford. In 2013 she talked to The Daily Telegraph:

I was a very good dancer and had been an acrobat. They told me Susan was going to be an Avengers-type girl – with all the kapow of that – plus she would have telepathetic powers. She was going to be able to fly the Tardis as well as her grandfather and have the most extraordinary wardrobe. None of that happened.

The role of Susan had been toned down on the instructions of the Head of Drama,Sydney Newman, who wanted the character to be much more ordinary, a character that a teenager in the 1960's could relate to.Carole Ann Ford decided to leave the series at the end of the first year of production. She completed her last studio recording on Friday 23 October in Riverside Studio 1. Following the recording she sent a note to the BBC Head of Drama, Sydney Newman, thanking him for allowing her to appear in the series. He replied the following week

Memo - Sydney Newman - 28 October 1964

Are you kidding - expressing your appreciation for appearing in Doctor Who! Fact is, we are greatly indebted to you. You have done a fine job for us in the BBC and we are deeply appreciative of your work.

May I wish you the very best of luck in your future career, and hope to see you time and time again on the BBC screen in roles other than that of the 'waif from outer space' (what a title!)

Following her departure from the series Carole Ann Ford had a couple of small roles in British Television. However as a key member of one of the most successful series in the BBC repertoire, seen by up to twelve million viewers each week, Ford found herself typecast. She told the Daily Telegraph

I was incredibly annoyed because I wanted to do more television and films and the only thing that people could ever see me in was a recreation of what I had done. A Susan clone. Some kind of weird teenager. I wanted to do work that would disconnect me from Doctor Who. That is a very difficult thing to accomplish, as many other actors who have played the companions have found out.

In 1965 she played a prostitute, Jenny Graham, in an episode ofPublic Eye, the long-running British TV series starring Alfred Burke, but received complaints from parents expecting the role to be a copy of Susan. In 1974 She played Valerie in an episode of the comedyWhatever Happened to the Likely Lads?.Ford was taken ill in 1977 when a mistreatment for a back injury caused her to become hyper allergic. She nearly died in Spain when an aspirin caused anaphylactic shock. Her weight plummeted to just five stone (70lb) and she lost her voice.To help her recover Ford undertook voice coaching which led to a new career as a vocal adviser for actors, politicians and business leaders. In 1983 she well enough to return to the role of Susan when she was offered a part in the Doctor Who Twentieth Anniversary specialThe Five Doctors. She was still very possessive of the role, insisting the script was changed when she was initially asked to refer toThe Doctorrather thanGrandfather.Carole Ann Ford now lives in North London. She has reprised the role of Susan in a number of Doctor Who audio plays byBig Finish Productions. In 2013 she appeared in a cameo role in the BBC Two docu-drama about the creation of Doctor Who,An Adventure in Space and Time, a play where Ford herself was played by Claudia Grant.She still holds great affection for the series she left fifty years ago, the show she helped to create.

I wish William Hartnell was here to share in all this. Even before we started he said, 'This is going to go on for ever.’ He was right, bless him. He loved it so much.

Goodbye Susan Susan has fallen in love with resistance fighter David Campbell, and the Doctor decides to leave her on Earth to find a new life with him, bidding her a fond but firm farewell